Porsche Developing Fully Electric 718 for 2022
Porsche is reportedly developing electrified versions of the entry-level 718 sports cars for launch in 2022, including mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric models.
“We have prototypes of the 718 running in electric now, and a hybrid prototype is being built,” said Porsche chairman Oliver Blume. “If you look to the next generation of those cars it is possible, although it is not yet clear whether it would be plug-in hybrid or hybrid.”
According to Autocar, the electric 718s will be built on the company’s PPE platform, the new electric-only architecture that underpins the Taycan sedan and will be used for the Cross Turismo, Macan and even the Audi e-tron GT.
Related: Discover the 2019 Porsche 718 Boxster Cabriolet
Porsche elected to use the PPE platform because the 718’s current chassis cannot accommodate batteries large enough to meet the automaker’s 186 miles of all-electric range.
Meanwhile, hybrid drivetrains would use a powertrain based on the template used by the upcoming 992-generation 911 hybrid: a disc-shaped, 48-volt electric motor located between the 718’s flat-four engine, combined with a modified dual-clutch transmission, to provide extra power and efficiency.
Though last year Blume stated the Porsche 911 would never get an all-electric variant, it should come as no surprise that the company is willing to do otherwise with its other models. It’s certainly not the first time it has toyed with the idea of an all-electric 718: In 2011, the Boxster E Concept featured a 121-hp electric motor, and more recently the 2017 Cayman E-volution Concept boasted an electric powertrain with a 120-mile range and faster 0-62 mph acceleration than the current Cayman GTS.
Related: New Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport unveiled
News Source: Autocar
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